New suburb proves popular

About 100 homes have been built already in Totara Parklands. Photo / John Stone

One of Whangarei's newest and fastest-growing suburbs is quickly taking shape in Tikipunga.

Totara Parklands, developed on 56 hectares of farmland to the north of Corks Rd, has had close to 100 homes built so far with sections in stages 1, 2 and 5A all sold.

Forty-five sections have already been sold in the new stage 3, says Mark Holland, the development's director and one of the principals of Totara Parklands.

Mr Holland says sales have been steady for the past two years.

About 130 sections have been sold in stages 1, 2 and 5A, with about 65 of these sold in the past 12 months.

About 80 per cent of the buyers are from Whangarei and the Northland area with 10 per cent from Auckland, he says.

The rest of the buyers have come from other parts of the country and the world.

Originally a 435 residential-section development, the total capacity of the suburb is now 375 properties.

A five-hectare block of land was recently sold to a retirement village with construction expected to begin in the next few years.

Sections, ranging between 500sq m and 1250sq m, start at $195,000 with house and land packages starting in the high $400,000 area.

Totara Parklands develops the land, it does not build the houses.

There are about 12 building companies associated with the project so far of which 10 have show homes within the suburb which is accessed through Wairua Rd at the Corks Rd-Paramount Parade roundabout.

Mr Holland says he heard the suburb's first baby was born recently and feedback from residents is that they are enjoying living at Parklands.

"There's a real cross-section of people already established there," he said.

"I'm just blown away by the success of the project and take a great deal of satisfaction in the knowledge people are very happy living in this new suburb.

"There were a few sceptics at the beginning, with some saying we were brave to think it would take off," he said.

"But the market and timing have been great to us."

Some totara trees have had to be removed to make way for sections.

However, as part of gaining resource consent from the Whangarei District Council, the developer had to vest a large block of bush nearby to the council - about 500 mostly totara, kowhai and puriri - providing a publicly owned reserve that provides habitats for wildlife and enjoyment for residents of the area.

The plight of native trees is a sensitive issue but Mr Holland was quick to point out they had done their best to give back.

A recent open day, on December 4, for residents was one such occasion.

Pizza boards and bread boards made from some of the felled totara were given out to residents.

There was music and activities with a mix of people turning out.

Mr Holland says it was a delight to observe the community prospering in Whangarei's newest suburb.

Once completed Totara Parklands will be home to potentially more than 1000 residents.